The news emanating from the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps across the country, particularly in the North-East, is everything but cheering.
In the heat of the bloody attacks by the Boko Haram terrorists, thousands of those who managed to survive the killing escaped to the IDP camps.
But rather than serve as a refuge for the internal refugees, the camps have turned out to be hell on earth. Based on what they have passed through in the camps, many IDPs would wish they had been killed by the terrorists. There have been tales of woes coming from the IDPs.
According to a situational assessment survey on IDPs in North-East conducted by NOIPolls last year, about 66 per cent of camp officials, 28 per cent from host communities and six per cent of elders are sexually molesting the vulnerable among the displaced people.
According to the survey, some of the female IDPs voluntarily offer camp officials sex for food and for freedom of movement within and outside the camps. Some others also offer themselves for basic female sanitary requirements.
Ten persons, including security officials, were recently arrested for sexually exploiting the female IDPs, especially the young girls.
The Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, gave the breakdown of those arrested as two policemen, three soldiers, one prison official, an Air Force officer, an employee of the Borno State Ministry of Agriculture and two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (Civilian JTF).
Even the Red Cross declared that women were into prostitution to survive. The Human Rights Watch had accused security forces and camp officials of sexually molesting young girls and women in various IDP camps. Following the report, the IG set up a special panel to probe the allegation.
Idris, who spoke on the outcome of the probe, said the police would liaise with the Army and Air Force to make their men available for a thorough investigation.
Also, the United Nations said its humanitarian mission discovered about 400 fresh graves of adults and children, who died very recently from hunger and disease at Rann, Kala/Balge Local Government Area of Borno State.
A report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said an estimated 450,000 children aged under-five would suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) this year.
The 10-page report gave an account of the state of needs and possible solutions to issues of IDPs in the North-East states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa; access and security in the region; malnutrition, among others.
The report reads in part: “In December, humanitarian missions observed over 40,000 people in each of the latter two sites experiencing grim conditions and great hunger. “On 22 December 2016, a humanitarian mission to Rann (Kala/Balge LGA) on the Cameroon border witnessed severe acute malnutrition and mortality, including some 400 fresh graves of adults and children who died very recently from hunger and disease.
“According to the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), a projected 5.1 million people in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states in Nigeria’s North-East will be food insecure this year.
High rates of malnutrition, including SAM, were found recently in places like Rann and Magumeri, both in Borno State.” OCHA described the humanitarian needs in the area as severe owing to the inability of the residents who predominantly are farmers to tend to their fields for three years because of the conflict in the area.
It added that an estimated 1.64 million IDPs still live in camps, settlements and with host communities in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
After a nutritional emergency was declared in Borno State, the World Food Programme and other UN agencies were invited to partner government in providing food and relief materials for the IDPs.
But ironically, over 400 trucks of rice meant for the starving IDPs in the region were reportedly diverted by greedy government officials in collusion with dubious camp officials.
Because of acute food shortage, the UN has predicted that about 120,000 people, especially children would die of hunger this year.
It is incumbent on the Federal Government to immediately step in to resolve crisis surrounding the IDPs. Chapter II, Section 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution says that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”
Since it was the failure of government in the first place that led to the displacement of the IDPs, it is not out of place to ask government to be responsible for its citizens.
The essence of government is to care for its citizens. We call on the government to ensure that those caught diverting foods meant for IDPs are punished.
